SAN FRANCISCO — In one of the more disappointing performances of his Knicks career, Josh Hart got caught up in a heated debate with Tom Thibodeau in the fourth quarter on Saturday.
Hart, who scored zero points on 7 shots, traveled back and forth with the coach during the timeout, and was spotted with Thibodeau sitting and screaming angrily at the standing player.
Both dismissed the exchange after 97-94 was defeated by the Warriors.
“You all know me. You know how I feel about Tib,” Hart said. “You're not going to find a more loyal player. I love Tib. I think it was my frustration with the flow of the game, my own individual performance.
“Yeah, I just know, it happened in the heat of that moment. I'm a competitor. Obviously, he's a competitor. So those things happen sometimes. I don't think it really is – it doesn't affect our relationship. I don't show anything what's going on. It's two very competitive people in a fiery moment. I love Tib. I love what he does. And he puts us in the best position to make us succeed.”
Thibodeau agreed that it was a “passionate moment.”
Assistant coach Rick Branson intervened as the two claimed.
“I love Josh,” Thibodeau said. “It was about trying to move us and try to move us.”
Hart added that he was frustrated with Jaylen Branson's play without him being out with his badly sprained ankle.
“If we don't have number 11, we might not be organized,” Hart said. “One thing about us is that the screening of the ball by myself is in more actions. Now the role is a little different, more catches and filming. I'm trying to find a way to be effective like that.”
The discussion with Thibs comes just days after Mikal Bridges criticized the distribution of Thibodeau's minutes.
Sources say the two met before Wednesday's game with the Blazers, reportedly clearing the air.
The Bridges finished 19 points in 38 minutes against the Warriors.
The ball's pressure from Miles McBride, who was cutting down several more minutes on Branson's shelves, was a defence bounty.
Saturday was clear when McBride scored 28 points but shadowed Steph Curry, who shot 20-8 on three turnovers.
“Lots. Physicality too. He's much bigger than his size,” Thibodeau said of McBride. “He can defend multiple positions. He can switch with him a little more. But he has high hopes and I think his ability to pick up a full court of balls is a big thing for us.”
In the first three games without Branson, the Knicks were 2-1, with the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA. McBride's defense was also a bit of a burden from Mikal Bridges. Mikal Bridges responded aggressively with greater efficiency.
